Texas Tech's Bennett Ofor to Miss Spring Practice After ACL Surgery

The Texas Tech Red Raiders football program will lose a little depth on the defensive line this offseason.

Nose tackle Bennett Ofor is expected to miss spring practice after undergoing ACL surgery, per the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams (h/t College Football Talk).

The 6’3”, 255-pounder played sparingly for Texas Tech last year. In nine appearances, he recorded five tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Ofor will be entering his senior season in 2014.

The Houston, Texas, native is expected to be in the running for a starting spot on the Red Raiders defense this season. His experience would be vital to a unit that is returning just four starters from a year ago, including only two up front on the line.

Although his appearances were sparse, Ofor has earned the respect of the coaching staff.

“(Ofor) runs hard. He goes a hundred miles an hour,” defensive line coach John Scott Jr. said, via Redraiders.com’s Don Williams. “A guy like that, you’ve got to get him on the field somehow in certain situations, and that’s what we did Saturday. When he was in there, he did a really nice job for us.”

A former Friendswood Clearbrook standout, Ofor knows what it’s like to play for a successful team.

After leading Clearbrook to a district championship in 2008, Ofor took that winning mentality to the collegiate level at Division II program Midwestern State. Appearing in eight games as a redshirt freshman in 2011, he helped the Mustangs put together a 10-1 record and finish the regular season ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Div. II rankings.

The team eventually fell to No. 10 Northwest Missouri in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Texas Tech's spring practices are schedule to begin on March 5.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and rankings are courtesy of NCAA.com.

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